Like Towns on the Highway
by davis-baker
Summary: Time for a road trip! Brooke, Julian, Nathan, Haley and all their kids set out on a trip to visit Lucas and Peyton miles away. It's a drive that's sure to be unforgettable, with memories that will last a lifetime! All couples: BJu, NH, LP
1. Chapter 1: And We're Off!

**A/N – So I've had this idea for a while, and I really just wanted to write a fun story like this because the show is ending and I'm gonna be like super depressed lol. Hope people are interested!**

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><p><span>Like Towns on the Highway<span>

Chapter 1: And We're Off! –

The sun beats down hard on this mid-July day as Brooke Davis-Baker steps outside to the backyard and is greeted by the playful sounds of laughter and splashing water. Looking towards the pool, she smiles to herself, seeing her three favorite boys joking around and having a good time.

In the middle of a heated game of Marco Polo, Julian is the first one to notice his wife standing there. He swims up the edge, propping his elbows up on the ledge of the pool.

"Hey, baby," he greets happily. He'd get out of the pool and greet her with a proper hug and kiss but he knows she'd scold him for getting her clothes wet. "Why don't you get a bathing suit on and come join us?"

"_Actually_, I have something to talk to you about," she replies instead.

Any other time, starting a conversation like this would make Julian nervous. However, the light in her eyes tells him that it's nothing _too_ serious. At least he hopes…

"Okay…" Julian laughs a bit at her mysteriousness.

"Daddy, _come on_!" Jude interrupts, annoyed at having to wait for his father.

"It's your turn to be Marco…oh, hi mommy!" Davis chimes in, waving along with his brother.

"Hi, boys," Brooke waves back to them from the other side of the pool before turning back to Julian. "I see you're letting them swim without their floaties on," she says, raising a suspecting eyebrow. She's been very wary about letting their five-year-old twins swim on their own despite taking _and_ excelling in numerous swim lessons. She can't help _but_ worry sometimes.

"They're _fine_, baby," Julian sighs in an amused manner. "You'd actually be so proud of them. Earlier, they tried doing handstands under water…of course neither of them could reach the bottom of the pool…but that's besides the point," he laughs. "They're like little fish or something…made for the water."

"Well as long as you keep an eye on them, it's fine," she caves in with a small smile. "But anyway, _back_ to what I was saying."

"_Yes_," Julian nods, reverting his attention back to the topic. "What is this news you have to share?"

"Okay, well keep your mind open…"

Julian groans dramatically in an exaggerated fashion. "Well _this_ can't be any good," he teases.

"Just wait!" she shushes him. "So me and Hales were video chatting with Peyton, right? And we were all just talking about how we haven't seen Peyton in literally the _longest_ time…I mean Sawyer's already _eight_!" she pauses to take a breath and Julian just laughs at how excited his wife seems to be. He just can't wait to hear her the point of this long, drawn out story. It must really be good. "So then…we all came up with this _fabulous_ idea! And I just know you're going to _love_ it."

Julian stifles a laugh at her sarcasm and raises his eyebrows. "Try me."

"_Well_," she drags the word out, building anticipation. "How would you feel about taking a road trip?" The hopefulness in her voice doesn't go unnoticed.

Julian loves road trips. He really does. But something isn't matching up here. He furrows his brow in confusion. "Wait…you mean to Lucas and Peyton?" he asks cautiously, afraid to hear the answer that is bound to come out of Brooke's mouth.

"Uh huh," she nods energetically. In her mind, this plan is _foolproof_.

Julian still has a lost and dazed expression on his face. "…to California…?" he inquires, shaking his head at the absurd idea. "Brooke, you do realize that if we all _drive_ there, we'll have a car full of three little kids and a potentially, and probably, bored fourteen-year-old?...Why can't we just fly?"

Melodramatically, Brooke drops her hands to her sides with a frown. "_Because_ this would be more fun, Julian. Come on! Think of all the memories the kids would have! They'll never forget it! We'd make stops in different states, find fun stuff for all the kids…"

Julian looks at his wife, sees her sullen face, and sighs. There's no way he can say _no_ to Brooke Davis. He's never been able to.

He knows she's already won this battle, like she always does, but he'll still put up a tiny fight.

"What does Nathan have to say about this?"

* * *

><p>"Daddy," Haley walks down the stairs and hears her six-year-old daughter giggling. "Stay still!"<p>

When she rounds the corner, she is met with Lydia sitting on Nathan's lap, facing him, putting some ridiculous color eye shadow on him. She can't help but find the scene _too adorable_.

From the corner of his eye, Nathan catches sight of his wife. "Hales, _save me_."

Lydia giggles even more, turning around to face her mother. "Mommy, tell daddy he looks pretty!"

"Well, I have to agree with you on that, Lyds…The pink really makes your eyes pop, Nate."

"See, mommy thinks you look pretty!" the small girl exclaims, climbing off his lap. "I'm gonna go find some nail polish to match!"

As Lydia dashes off, Haley decides to take her now vacant seat right on Nathan's lap. "I kinda like this look on you," she teases.

Nathan scrunches his face and goes to wipe his eyes. "I think I'm getting an allergic reaction or something."

"Hey!" Haley swats his hand away. "Haven't you learned anything from your makeup artist? You can't smudge your makeup!"

Nathan shakes his head and mutters under his breath, "_Right_. And I'll be _sure_ to thank Brooke for getting our daughter that makeup kit."

Haley laughs, leaning further into his body, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Speaking of Brooke…" she begins.

"Oh, no…" Nathan sighs. "This _can't_ be good."

"Shh…listen. The two of us were talking to Peyton and we came up with an idea."

Nathan looks on in curiosity. "What kind of _idea_?" His tone is a bit hesitant.

"Well…how would you feel about taking a road trip to go see Luke and Peyton?"

"A _road trip_?" he sputters. "You mean all the way across the country? With all the kids…?"

"Come on," Haley whines. "It'd be _fun_," she tries to reason. "You remember that trip we all took down to Honey Grove during senior year?"

"You mean when we had to pick up Mouth from jail, and the car broke down and we ran into Chris Keller?"

Haley rolls her eyes. "Okay, maybe that wasn't my strongest and most convincing argument."

"Julian's okay with this?"

"Brooke's talking to him now. We just thought it was a really good idea."

Nathan shakes his head. There's no way he is going to be able to say no to Haley. And he knows Julian probably feels the same way about Brooke.

Just as he's about to respond, they hear the front door open and footsteps padding down the hall.

Jamie appears, dropping his basketball and panting out of breath.

"Have fun at the rivercourt, Jame?" Haley questions her already fourteen-year-old son. He's been practicing there a lot over the summer because come fall, he will be in high school already. And that means he will be following Nathan's footsteps and hopefully be joining the Ravens.

Jamie nods, wiping his forehead and trying to cool himself down from the heat outside. He stops abruptly and looks towards his dad with a confused and disgusted expression.

"What did Lydie do to your face?"

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><p>Lucas stands out on the balcony of his home, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Lately, he's found himself doing that a lot. Just looking out at the waves and the surfers and other beach-goers. It's <em>nice<em>…but sometimes he just really misses _home_. And his home will _always_ be Tree Hill.

They had traveled a lot, been all over the world, and it wasn't until Sawyer was nearly two that they finally decided to settle down in Los Angeles. Peyton, having already established Red Bedroom Records back in North Carolina, would have an easy time finding work in L.A. And Lucas could write from _anywhere_, so it wasn't really ever an issue. They worked on a routine, and in no time, they got used to California.

While it isn't quite home to Lucas or Peyton, it _is_ home to Sawyer. And his bitter, sarcastic, replica-of-Peyton, baby girl absolutely loves _her_ home.

"Hey, you," Peyton meets him outside as she walks over to wrap her arms around him.

"Where's Sawy?"

"In her room listening to music, drawing," she replies and Lucas smiles. _Of course she is_.

"How are you?" she then asks him.

"I'm good," Lucas breathes in. "But now that you're here beside me, I'm _great_," he answers, leaning down to kiss her on the lips.

"Well I have news that's about to make your mood _even better_," she tells him matter-of-factly with a smile.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"We're gonna be having a few visitors soon."

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><p>"Where did you even get a van like this?" Nathan shakes his head in disbelief.<p>

"Well you didn't think we'd all be able to fit in one car, so I just _had to_ prove you wrong, Nate," Brooke playfully responds, sticking her tongue out at her dark-haired friend.

Julian shuts the trunk door and makes his way to the front of the car. Haley is loading bags of food and toys into the back row of the van.

"Trunk's all packed," Julian says to the group. "So I'm the first one driving?" They had sat down a few nights before to go over a driving schedule, mapping out who would be driving and for how many hours. They also decided how many hours a day they would be driving, and which cities and states they'd be stopping in. If their calculations were correct, they'd be making it to Lucas and Peyton's in about five days.

"Yep," Brooke answers him. "Which means I call shotgun!"

"Then we'll switch off in a few hours," Haley says. "Too bad Jamie doesn't have a license," she jokes.

At this, Jamie, who had been preoccupied with texting on his phone, looks up. "Hey, I'll drive!"

"Sorry, son. Not for another two years."

Jamie frowns at Nathan's response and goes back to his phone.

"He's talkin' to his _girlfriend_!" Lydia says to Davis and Jude, causing the three little ones all to break out into laughter.

"Shut up, Lydie!" Jamie playfully shoves her before getting into the car.

Lydia huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. "Meanie."

"Well this should be fun," Julian retorts with a grin, before going to the driver's side.

"Come on," Brooke ignores her husband, turning to the three small kids. "Lets get you guys buckled in your booster seats."

After everybody is buckled in and set to go, Julian turns on the GPS and pulls out of the driveway.

"And we're off!"

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><p><strong>AN – Anybody interested in reading this? If you guys are, I'll be more than happy to continue! Review pleaseee :)**

**-Melissa**


	2. Chapter 2: Myrtle Beach

Like Towns on the Highway

Chapter 2 – Myrtle Beach

They've been on the road for an hour.

_Just an hour_.

"Again!" Lydia exclaims, instructing her Aunt Brooke, sitting in the front passenger's seat, to start the CD all over again from the beginning. But this isn't any CD…

"Please _no_," Jamie begs desperately. "I swear if I have to listen to another Taylor Swift song I'm gonna _kill_ myself," the fourteen-year-old stresses. His younger sister's obsession with the country-pop star annoys him until no end.

"But Lydie _loves_ Taylor Swift," Nathan teases his son.

"And I love _good music_," the teenager quips back.

"Hey! She has some good songs," Haley cuts in.

"Mama, remember when me, you and Aunt Brooke went to her concert?" Lydia's eyes light up in excitement as she remembers when they went to see her on one of her tour stops a few months prior. They had pretty awesome seats, too.

"That was fun, Lydie Bee," Brooke comments.

"Where were we?"

"I took you and Jude on set with me for one of my movies, Davey. Remember?" Julian answers.

"Me and Davey got to use the cameras!" Jude recounts.

"And Jamie and I went up to Charlotte and saw a Bobcats game."

"So it was just a girls night out for us."

Lydia feigns a yawn, pretending to be bored by all the conversation going on between the adults and other kids, as she runs a hand through her long blonde hair. "Can you _please_ start the CD over, Aunt Brooke?" she repeats.

"Just kill me," Jamie groans, turning the volume on his Ipod up extra high. The only thing worse than actually having to listen to Taylor Swift in the car is having to listen to his six-year-old sister belt out the _wrong_ lyrics.

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><p>After stopping for breakfast along the road, they stop for gas at a rest stop. The twins and Lydia announce that they need to use the bathroom <em>again<em> (after all, it's only been twenty minutes since they've last stopped). Haley and Julian volunteer to take them inside while Nathan fills up the van, leaving only Jamie and Brooke left in the car.

"You know it's rude to ignore your godmother, Jame," Brooke smirks, knowing full well he doesn't hear a word she's saying because his headphones are blasting music and his full concentration is directed on his phone.

He senses her staring at him, and sure enough, as he looks up, he sees she has turned her body from the front seat to look at him.

Smiling sheepishly, he pulls the ear buds from his ears and places his phone down. "Huh…Oh…Sorry, Aunt Brooke."

"It's okay," she laughs. "I was a teenager once, you know…a pretty _cool_ one," she adds jokingly. "Unlike your mom of course."

Jamie laughs and nods his head. "Good to know."

"So…what's this about you having a girlfriend. Let me guess…_Madison_?"

Jamie's face flushes at his aunt's accusation. Leave it to her to have no boundaries what so ever. "Aunt Brooke…" his eyes dart away from hers.

"What? You can tell me. I'm the cool one, remember?"

Jamie shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Madison…she's…she's just a _friend_."

Brooke rolls her eyes playfully. "Whatever you say, James Lucas Scott. You just remember how _well_ I know you, okay? And if you ever need to talk to me about your relationship issues, I'm always here."

He buries his face in his hands, embarrassed. Thankfully in the next few seconds, his little sister and cousins return and he knows his aunt won't blow up his spot like that. She'll pretend the conversation never happened.

Julian and Haley get the three little ones back into their seats and Julian gets back into the front passenger seat, shaking his head with a dumfound look plastered on his face.

"Oh, no. What happened?" Brooke asks the two.

"We left them alone for _five seconds_," Haley sighs.

"We went looking for a few snacks and drinks and whatever and then we notice the three of them are missing. Turns out they snuck back into the bathroom and thought the soap dispenser was a toy or something," Julian explains. Though he pretends to be angry, the ridiculousness of the story makes it hard to be. Wherever the three of them go, they always manage to find trouble somewhere.

Brooke giggles and shakes her head. "At least we know they're clean!"

"Squeaky clean!" Davis adds. "We used _lots_ of soap, mommy."

"And you always tell us to use soap and water!"

"And at least they listen…"

A few minutes later, Nathan comes back from paying for the gas, a couple of brochures in hand.

"Alright, guys. So Myrtle Beach is only about thirty minutes away. What do you say we make that our first stop?"

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><p>"Hi, daddy!"<p>

Looking up with a smile, Lucas opens his arms wide for his daughter. While he can see so many similarities of Peyton in Sawyer, his eight-year-old somehow seemed to defy the odds of both her parents' personality traits and is, at several times, upbeat and happy. He supposes that's where her middle, _Brooke_, comes into play.

"Hey, baby girl. What have you been up to?"

She shrugs nonchalantly, waving her hand, "Nothin' much…But mama told me that Uncle Nate and Aunt Haley and Aunt Brooke and Uncle Julian are comin' to visit soon!" she says excitedly, all in one breath.

Laughing at how exaggerated and articulated her words are, he nods his head. "That's right. And all your cousins, too."

Suddenly her smile falters and she seems to be deep in thought.

"What is it, Sawyer?"

"Well I haven't seen any of them in a _long_ time!" she informs her father. "Daddy…do you think they remember who I am?" her eyes go wide in horror.

Shaking his head, he smiles and wraps an arm around her small frame. "I'd count on it, cutie."

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><p>The plan from the beginning had been to drive <em>more<em> than two hours a day before stopping. And Myrtle Beach is simply two hours outside of Tree Hill. But they can already tell that the kids are getting restless and need something to do. So, just for today, they'll make an exception. Thankfully, the first beachfront hotel they find has vacancies.

"I wanna go to the beach!" Jude states once the two families have settled in their respective hotel rooms.

Upon his brother's announcement, Davis opens the door connecting to the Scott's adjoining room, happy to find their door already wide open.

"Lydieeee!" He yells out into the room next door. Within no time, the petite blonde dashes over to the open door, nearly knocking over her older brother in the process.

"Watch where you're going, Lydia," Jamie mumbles as he shakes his head and walks away from the doorframe. Why couldn't he have brought Chuck on this trip? Now he was stuck with the little kids.

"Me, you, and Jude should have a sleepover tonight," Lydia suggests over-enthusiastically.

Davis scrunches up his face in disgust as Jude walks up behind him.

"But you're a _girl_." Jude shakes his head, pointing out the obvious.

"_So_?" Lydia whines, rolling her eyes. "I have sleepovers with Jamie all the time when he babysits me. He even lets me paint his nails!"

"I don't know," Davis says, shuttering at the thought of his cousin painting his nails some girly color like his mom always has on. "But do you wanna go to the beach with us?"

"Hey, nobody is going anywhere just yet," Julian replies having just walked out of the bedroom in the suite.

"But we're bored, Uncle Julian!"

"Well you're not going into the water dressed in _that_," he points to her outfit. "How 'bout the three of you try changing into a bathing suit and then we'll talk."

"Yes!" they all cheer and Lydia turns back around into her room.

"Mommy! I need a bathing suit!"

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><p>"I've gotta say," Nathan begins to say as he, Haley, Brooke, and Julian sit on the sand, carefully watching the kids in the water. "Your sons don't always have the best idea…but I'm feeling pretty relaxed right now."<p>

"Relaxed from what?" Haley turns to look at her husband, everyone purposely gazing over the joke he's attempted about the twins. "Julian's the one that's been driving all day!"

"Yeah! Thank you, Haley," Julian agrees.

"_All day_?" Brooke cuts in. "Baby, you drove for like two hours."

"And it was a stressful two hours!"

"Whatever you say," Brooke shakes her head, laughing.

The two couples remain in silence for the next few minutes, just watching the kids having a good time.

Jamie has volunteered to take the three younger kids into the water. He takes turns carrying each of them further into the ocean while the other two wait for him in the shallow part.

"He's so good with them, you guys." Brooke comments softly. She'll never be ungrateful for how amazing her godson is with her sons.

"He puts up a fight a lot of the times, but deep down, he loves them," Nathan says happily, knowing he has raised a good, kindhearted son. Jamie always comments on how he hates having to spend time with the little kids and how he's getting too old for that, but at the end of the day, they all know he'll do just about anything to keep them happy and entertained.

"Good to know…since the twins practically idolize him," Julian says truthfully.

"Well just be thankful the twins are still five," Haley tells Brooke and Julian. "It feels like a lifetime ago that Jamie was five…and now he's _fourteen_."

There's a mutual silence as Haley finishes up and the adults revert their eyes back on the reflecting waters. They realize they must relish this moment right now, where all the kids are young, happy, healthy, and safe.

The silence is all too short when they suddenly notice the kids race each other out of the water and towards them.

Brooke is the first to stand up, towels in her hand, ready to give them out for the kids to dry off.

"Done already?" she asks, handing each a towel.

"Actually, they want to go on the paddleboats," Jamie explains, pointing not too far up the beach where an area is set up designated for the activity.

"Can we mommy?" Davis pleads, dropping to his knees on the hot sand.

"You don't have to beg, silly," Brooke laughs, offering her hand to help the five-year-old to his feet. "Lets go check it out."

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><p>"Are you sure you don't want to do it, honey?" Haley bends down to be at eye level with her daughter. "It looks like a ton of fun. And Jamie, Davis, and Jude are going to miss you."<p>

Lydia stands in contemplation, twisting and digging her toes into the sand.

"Come on, baby. It'll be fun," Nathan tries encouraging his daughter.

She timidly shakes her head, "I'm scared, daddy," she mumbles lowly.

"Aw, Lydia, it's okay. Come here," Nathan comforts her, scooping her up into his arms.

"So she's not coming?" Jamie yells back from his seat in the paddleboat.

"Nope, just the three of you."

"Boys, make sure you listen to Jamie!" Brooke shouts to them.

"And stay in your seats," Julian, knowing just how crazy his sons are, feels it is necessary to say.

After making sure the three boys' life jackets are secured, the instructor signals to Jamie that they're free to go. As Jamie begins to paddle out deeper into the water, he realizes just what he's gotten himself in to. Of course the twins wouldn't be able to paddle – they're only _five_. And from experience of being a _short_ five-year-old, Jamie should have known they would not be able to even reach the peddles of the boat.

"Faster, Jamie!" Jude requested agitatedly, his feet just dangling and hovering over the pedals.

"I'm tryin', J, be patient!"

From the shore, Lydia requests that Nathan hold her up on his shoulders. "I see them!" she calls out excitedly, pointing to them in the boat in the distance. She waves to them and is excited to see Davis and Jude wave back with just as much enthusiasm.

All seems to be going just fine until the boys appear to get restless.

"Oh no…" Julian mumbles, a part of him just _knowing_ this would happen.

"What…what are they doing?" Brooke squints her eyes, trying to see through the sun. Sure enough, she sees her two boys attempting to stand up on the boat. "Are you kidding me?" sighing, she waves her hands, trying to signal for them to sit down. The twins seem to think it's a joke and just laugh and wave back. "_Sit down_!" she groans frustratingly. Like her husband, she's not too surprised this has happened.

Lydia giggles from atop her daddy's shoulders; glad it isn't her getting into trouble this time. The adults just shake their heads. If this is any indication on how the rest of the trip is going to go…well, it's certainly going to be _memorable_.

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><p><strong>Anonymous reviewers: <strong>

katie – Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're interested :)

Bongo – Thank you! :)

Sillygoose97186 – Thanks a bunch! :)

Tasha – Thanks, hoped you enjoyed this chapter! :)

**Hope you guys liked this chapter!**


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